To His Excellency Lieut.-Gen. Sir George Prevost, Bart. &c. &c. &c.
"May it please your Excellency,
"We, His Majesty's loyal subjects, the Members of the House of Assembly of the Island of Dominica, avail ourselves of the occasion of your Excellency's visit to your late government, to repeat to you the assurances of the high esteem which we have ever entertained for the character of your Excellency, and to express our most grateful sense of the unabated zeal which your Excellency has evinced, on every occasion, to promote the welfare and prosperity of this colony, as well as to add glory to the arms of your country.
"With every anniversary of the 22nd February, will the services rendered by your Excellency recur to our memory, not only from the gallantry displayed by your Excellency upon that occasion, when opposed to so superior a force, but for your subsequent exertions in favour of the unfortunate sufferers by the fire, to which may be chiefly attributed the relief afforded them by the mother country.
"We beg leave to congratulate your Excellency upon the brilliant result of the operations against the enemy's most important colonial possession, and by which, an opportunity has been afforded you, of acquiring fresh laurels, in addition to those which already grace your Excellency.
"We most heartily and sincerely wish your Excellency a prosperous and pleasant passage to your government, and we anticipate that reward which awaits you (ever most pleasing to a soldier)—the approbation of your sovereign.
"Jno. Hy. Hobson,
Speaker."
"House of Assembly,
15th March, 1809."
Reply of Sir George Prevost.
"Mr. Speaker, and